Skin and Hair care benefits of castor oil

Castor oil is a boon to all the things related to beauty. It’s extracted by pressing the seeds of castor plant, also known as Ricinus communis. It’s a vegetable oil and is native to Africa and India. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. It has been used as a laxative for ages. Every time I think for castor oil it reminds me of the Tom & Jerry cartoon. Castor oil has many different uses and here are a few of them-

Moisturizer – It is a great skin moisturizer. It penetrates deep into the skin, softens and hydrates it. The oil also helps to promote the production of elastin and collagen, which help to delay the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and give the skin a more youthful appearance.

Castor oil also can be used to moisturize the gentle under eye area. Mix castor oil with sweet almond oil in proportion 1:1 and use it as under eye cream.

Lip balm – Use castor oil as a lip balm to moisturize, nourish and care for your lips, and forget about dry and chapped lips forever.

Stretch marks – Castor oil also help prevent stretch marks. Massage the oil into your skin, twice a day, when you are pregnant and it will help prevent the stretch marks from forming. You can also use it after birth to help the marks heal.

Brittle nails – It’s a natural treatment for brittle nails. Castor oil is great at treating brittle and cracked nails. Just massage your nails with the oil every evening, before going to bed, and already after a week of doing it, you’ll see your nails transform from brittle to healthy.

Reduces the appearance of scars – Over time, the regular application of castor oil can reduce the appearance of scars. The fatty acids in the oil penetrate quickly into the scar tissue and promote the growth of healthy tissue around it, thus reducing the size of the scar itself.

Sunburn remedy – Thanks to the soothing and anti-inflammatory properties, castor oil is a good remedy for sunburns. Just apply castor oil mixed with coconut oil (in proportion 1:1) to the affected area and you will soon feel the relief.

Enhances hair growth – Massage slightly warmed up castor oil into your hair and scalp and it will improve the blood circulation to your follicles, promoting faster hair growth. The oil also contains omega-6 fatty acids, so it will nourish your hair as well. You might need to wash your hair a couple of times to get rid of the greasy feel. If you find that the consistency of castor oil is too thick and it’s hard to work with it, then mix castor oil with coconut oil or sweet almond oil in proportion 1:1 and use as described above. Your hair will be shiny and silky and will grow faster.

Thickens hair – Castor oil contains omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids, both of which are useful for encouraging healthy hair growth. With regular use, castor oil will encourage new growth and thicken existing strands to give you a beautiful and shiny head of thicker hair.